Originally posted by donwhite

posted by Barcs

I really doubt Bush will go into NK, even with China's support. Does he really want to be responsible when North Korea unloads their entire nuclear arsenal at China and the US? Those are buttons I would not want to push.

I think China established the principle that the US would not go into North Korea. In 1953, at Panmunjon. (I have been there, by the way, in late 1953.)

Wasnt that because Truman didnt have the guts to go ahead with the plan McArthur had laid out??? Both McArthur and Patton were right. We should have fought our enemies when we had the chance but we didnt want to risk it politically.

North Korea does not have anything the States wants, but if they test nukes than we can just sanction them severely.

North Korea informed China it may drop its plan to test its first atomic bomb if the United States holds bilateral talks with the communist country, a former South Korean lawmaker said Sunday.


The above quote is right now on CNN.com (Oct 8 )

Is it just a red herring this nuclear test?

It was said on tnites news because it didnt happen today, they dont expect it now until the end of the year..

where exactly are we making these assumptions from ?

Originally posted by Agit8dChop
North Korea informed China it may drop its plan to test its first atomic bomb if the United States holds bilateral talks with the communist country, a former South Korean lawmaker said Sunday.

Yea, these North Korean bozo's have been saying this since the sanctions were first imposed.

I can certainly understand wanting to confront your enemy face to face without the distraction of others, however, why be so adamant about the fact that they want the US in bilateral talks? I have to assume that the North Koreans feel we may be more easily swayed without that other 6 party members around? *Shrugs*

Originally posted by Agit8dChop

where exactly are we making these assumptions from ?

Thats exactly what I would like to know...the only reason *I* can think of that an assumtion like that is made, is by the unidentified Chinese source who indicated to South Korean officials that North Korea denied that a test was "imminent".
But, to be fair, they didnt deny that a test WASNT "imminent" either....so the words are somewhat empty I think.

Besides, if the whole of the world were to take lessons from the Western Worlds equivalent of Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen (aka George Bush and the current administration) and use "shock and awe" crap...then certainly they could be ummmmm Lying?!

AB1

Originally posted by Faint
Well you could simply bomb the holy be-jesus out of him with the USA's incrediable airforce , and there is always the option of withdrawing from iraq if needs bee

That is the type of American ignorant talk that is just so rampant here in ATS.

If we "bomb the be-jesus" out of them, they will turn South Korea's capital into a concrete wasteland with their artillery.

Think, before you speak... please.



My guess for the reason WHY NK only wants to negotiate with the US alone is because they simply do not want China in the talks.

NK's main supply of food and oil comes from aid from China. China is VERY weary of any severe sanctions/punishments against NK because that would mean an influx of millions of NK refugees. China is already weary of Kim's insane decisions and of course, NK would not want to piss off their only food/oil source much more than they have to.

With China in the talks, NK would refrain from making more drastic demands. WITHOUT China, NK could blow smoke as much as they want.



[edit on 8-10-2006 by k4rupt]

Well, boys and girls...


They did it.....now what? I wonder what the response is going to be?


AB1

Originally posted by Darkmind
Errmmm.... I hate to sound negative, but how exactly can the US take out the bouffant-haired midget? What with? The US Army is currently up to its neck in Iraq. You don't have any more forces to deploy from the reserve that are in a battle-ready state.

We have 78,000 troops in South Korea plus the SK Army. We're fine there if something happens. Anyway it probably wouldn't be a typical cross border invasion since the border area and trails/roads into and out of NK and SK are heavily mined. I think a more likely scenario would be a naval attack using ship and sub based missles, and then again, we have plenty of ships and missiles.

CNN has been showing some documentry footage that was smuggled out of NK-deplorable conditions, I mean these people go to China for a better life-Geesh! All the money goes to defense. I just asked my DH why he thought some NK general who has had enough of that pompous little freak hasn't just hauled off and put a bullet in his head? This guy must really spin some magic, I have to think there are some high placed officials who just hate him!

Well... the test has been done.
Interesting to see the speculation in this thread in the face of the actual outcome of those threats.

They didn't work.

Now is the US going to live up to their threats?

I, for one, am very worried for the peoples of both North AND South Korea. I lived in Soule for awhile and found the people to be utterly delightful. I was suprised at how open they were with me about their feelings on things like their cultueral shift, the ongoing war, and anti-americanism once they learned I was Canadian (they had a strange knack for figuring out I'm a Canuck without asking).

If the war heats back up to a full fledged shooting match, those people that I enjoyed so much are going to get hammered. North Korea has the capability to do a lot of damaged in a very short time to every South Korean city. Even the people in the north are going to suffer worse. Their living standards may be poor now, but atleast they are living!

Let's try to remember that war is horror.
People die. There are mostly good people on both sides and bombs/bullets don't care about your political leanings.

Originally posted by stanstheman
We have 78,000 troops in South Korea plus the SK Army. We're fine there if something happens. Anyway it probably wouldn't be a typical cross border invasion since the border area and trails/roads into and out of NK and SK are heavily mined. I think a more likely scenario would be a naval attack using ship and sub based missles, and then again, we have plenty of ships and missiles.

78000?
more like 30000?

Originally posted by Daedalus3

78000?
more like 30000?

I just saw an interview with BG-R Mark Kimmet (sp) two days ago on CNN and he said 78,000-but hey he's retired and no longer in the loop! Anyhoo it's irrelavent, we'd probably bomb them from the sea and sky.

Well here we are."Blunt Threat?"While its said we can fight a 2 front war(questionable)we already have iraq quagmire an iran in gunsights.did bush see this coming when he made"BLUNT THREAT?)You can bet japan will go nuke soon.